According to Amber Schmidtke, PhD, COVID cases in Georgia over the past week are up by 47%, hospitalizations rose 28%, ICU admissions rose 17% and deaths rose by 146%.
We often see a delay between the rise in cases/hospitalizations and the rise in deaths. In summer 2020, the delay was 3 weeks. In the winter surge it was 5. This time, it looks more like the delay we saw last summer. Keep in mind that death reporting is often delayed and this is a problem every week.
For testing, the number of tests performed for both PCR and antigen testing have risen dramatically (by 27%) for each compared to the previous week. Test positivity leveled off for antigen testing but continues to climb for PCR testing.
CLICK HERE to review Dr. Schmidtke's full report.
Medical educator and science communicator
East Georgia Regional Medical Center (EGRMC) in Statesboro has stabilized with COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital today. However, they are now reporting three more patients requiring Vents. EGRMC is reporting 39 COVID patients with 8 on vents.
EGRMC continues to report their E.R. remains extremely busy. The ICU is nearing capacity. They are working to create as many non ICU bed space as possible. EGRMC is limited in total beds, but also facing challenges in staffing the beds.
Bulloch County EMS continues to see significant increase in COVID probably patients this week.
EGRMC has reported having 31 staffed adult ICU beds. 18 are filled by non-COVID patients and 10 are filled by COVID patients. Overall, 28 out of 31 (90%) are filled. This suggests hospitals cannot absorb a wave of new COVID infections without substantial surge capacity.
Hospitals are nearing capacity in our region. This makes it very difficult to handle a continued surge. It also jeopardizes treatment of other non-COVID emergencies like accidents or heart attacks that require emergent care.
Vaccinated should now wear mask inside
In areas with substantial and high transmission (which includes Bulloch County https://dph.georgia.gov/county-indicator-reports), the CDC recommends that everyone (including fully vaccinated individuals) wear a mask in public indoor settings to help prevent spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant.
FREE COVID TESTING DOWNTOWN STATESBORO
The Southeast Health District has expanded FREE COVID-19 testing at the downtown Statesboro location to daily testing. The testing location is in the parking lot located on the East Side of Railroad Street between Hill St and Courtland Street under a white drive thru tent.
Test are available now Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., Last Saturday of the month from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
To schedule an appointment at the downtown COVID-19 testing site, you may call 1-855-473-4374, and a DPH agent will assist you. You can also schedule an appointment online by clicking here.
FREE and CONFIDENTIAL VACCINES
Grice Connect, due to a large request for information on how and where to get vaccines, has coordinated with two local pharmacies to give FREE – CONFIDENTIAL – SAFE COVID-19 vaccines.
With COVID-19 numbers climbing, hospitalizations, ICU and Vent patients nearing capacity, now is time to get vaccinated.
All you have to do is walk up and tell them Grice Connect sent you.
FREE – CONFIDENTIAL – SAFE COVID-19 VACCINE lOCATIONS
Forest Heights Pharmacy – 4439 Country Club Road, Statesboro, GA 30458 – 912-489-7979
Moderna (2 shots) and Johnson and Johnson (1 shot and done) 8:30 am to 6 pm
McCook’s Pharmacy – 23630 US-80, Statesboro, GA 30461 – 912-764-2223
- Moderna (2 shots) 9:00 am to 6 pm
- Pfizer (2 shots – 12 and up) 12 pm to 6 pm
CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF FREE VACCINE LOCATIONS
Unvaccinated Accounting for Majority of Hospitalizations and Deaths
PBS: The DPH looked at what it calls “breakthrough cases.” That’s people who got sick and in very few cases died, even though they were fully vaccinated.
Comparing those numbers to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention records of COVID-19 cases and deaths, a little more than 98% of the over 335,000 COVID cases recorded in the study period were among the unvaccinated.
The same is true with deaths. Over 99% of the 9,000-plus people who died of the disease in the past seven months were also unvaccinated.
Additionally, every one of the 24 breakthrough deaths was of someone older than 60. Over half of them, 15 total, were older than 80.
Of the nearly 165 million people who’ve been fully vaccinated in the US, at least 125,000 (or 0.08%) have tested positive for Covid-19 and 1,400 (less than 0.001%) have died, according to an NBC News analysis of infections in 38 states. There are caveats—12 states’ data is missing and asymptomatic infections are also likely slipping by unnoticed—but the numbers show that the vaccines are highly effective in preventing serious illness from Covid-19.
TODAY'S REPORT:
About This Report:
A special thanks to Dr. Frank Davis, M.D. F.A.C.S, a retired trauma surgeon who lives in Bulloch County. He has worked closely with the Grice Connect team to design the COVID-19 dashboard and provide brief interpretation of the data. You will be seeing and hearing more from Dr. Davis as an important member of the GC team. We will continue to update and adapt the data in this report to make it relevant. We have shifted our emphasis to vaccinations, while continuing to provide daily Coroncavirus impact.
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